Darkness in Passing
by Samkin-lone-Senshi
Summary: On a dark night two men meet, two men of vastly different opinions of each other. One who must do a mission to Yokohama, while the other fights for the Choshu. Can it be that these two men are similar yet so different?


Darkness in Passing

Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto Meets Rurouni Kenshin

Disclaimer: I own none, but this story was something I thought would happen. It is a one shot and I don't think I will do this kind of cross again.

Nearing the end of a long day, Akizuki stumbled upon an area of Kyoto that he did not want to be in. He could see the tufts of clouds, the sound of fighting, he had lost track of different people within the city these days. He could hear the Shinsengumi running through the streets yelling at people, then there he was staring at the face to face with a man with a scar on his left cheek, his hair a deep crimson.

They had walked passed each other, for a moment, he was staring down the street, then down toward the street. It was too dangerous to stay on the streets anymore, the man pointed along the street and they had to run down toward another area.

The smoke was clearing and Akizuki was clearing his throat, he saw the man turning his head to look behind him, he pointed toward a hotel. "Just stay in there until the smoke clears, then get out of here."

"Why so concerned?"

Passing through Kyoto proved more dangerous than Akizuki thought, he had to make his way to Yokohama before the end of next month. Yet here he was starting to realize what was going on, Choshu, Satsuma, and Tosa were in these houses, he would find no friend here, but he knew nothing of what was going on.

The red haired man was not smiling, nor was he showing much sign of knowing much of anything to ask questions of. He looks like a boy, Akizuki thought and then realized he was now looking at a group of men who were looking ragged. "What did you bring, Kenshin?" one of the men asked.

"No one of importance, just traveling out of the city," the young man, Kenshin walked ahead.

"Huh? The Battosai doesn't give us an answer, why am I not surprised?" another man chuckled. "You're lucky he doesn't slice you into tiny pieces." This was aimed at Akizuki who was sitting down watching the group of men.

"Don't get comfortable, if you're an enemy, which I'm guessing you're not by the way you avoid the main streets," Kenshin whispered and was standing near him."

Legends about the Hitokiri Battosai was running wild throughout Japan, then again, those legends described a great beast of a man, not a simple teenager. This was a shock to what Akizuki had heard when he began his journey through Kyoto. He had been warned by many not to go through Kyoto.

This is the only path I know to go through to Yokohama, Akizuki thought this out and plotted some it, he had to take some risk traveling the way he did. He leaned a little forward. "Where are you heading?" he heard the Battosai ask, a curious look on his face.

"I'm heading toward Yokohama," he answered, he knew lying wouldn't be a good idea, he just thought if he was honest enough to answer, he would avoid anymore unpleasantness.

"Then you need to head away from here as fast as possible," Kenshin answered quietly picking up a tea cup. "This one would rather you left now…do this before you get recruited into a fight that you seem to rather avoid."

Nodding, the other man made a rather quiet look around him. "Seems to me there is more going on here than I assume I need to know."

"That's right, and you need to move out of here just as the sun goes up," Kenshin did not seem too interested in giving a reason for any logic.

Quietly, Akizuki made some interesting notes mentally about Kenshin, he appeared very young, his must have started with the Choshu at a young age. There was more that he thought about the boy, one was that something about the scar, a deep sadness seem to haunt his voice, a horrible feeling of dread. I don't sense he could do any harm to anyone, he's not the type to come near me, he's not the type to be interested in getting me involved. He was more interested in getting me off the streets, the thoughts were still moving around. I wouldn't want to be in a fight with him, that's for certain, I would rather avoid that as much as I have heard legends about him.

Doesn't help me that the Shinsengumi seemed to spread more than just a little more horror stories than I like to hear, Akizuki remembered those stories as he came toward the city itself.

"You were looking for something too?" whispered Kenshin as if knowing he had just tipped something in his curious nature.

"Something was stolen and needs to be destroyed, that is all you need to know," there was sense that even if Akizuki would tell the Hitokiri Battosai everything, nothing would be resolved.

"I will wish you luck in your search."

Quietly, the observations both men made of each other seemed to say things about each other. Kenshin on the other hand made his own notes, mental ones. He carries an ancient sword, one with a strange hilt, he must be from those Shinto shrines I heard about from Katsura-sama. He must be strong fighter to be wandering around on his own without a side, he doesn't appear to carry this because he wants to. In minutes or two, there were strange blue light appearing in the man's eyes.

He looked up to see the leader of the Choshu walked into the room. "I see…you are from that place," Katsura looked up as Akizuki stood up and nodded.

Soon Katsura led him and Kenshin into a private room, he made sure no one was in there to speak freely with them. "This puts me in a position, though I know I should ask your assistance, I'm not about to allow Tosa any chance to know of you. Ryoma as many know was a good friend and his loss was terrible, he gave you this mission am I right?"

Mission? Kenshin gazed in shock and turned his head to the side to see Katsura. "Kenshin, this is will surprise you, but Akizuki was sent for a mission to destroy something very dangerous. Take him to the edge of Kyoto as fast as possible. Do not let anyone near him, Tosa, Satsuma, or even Shinsengumi, even though they would gladly see this fail too. Just get him out of here!"

"If that is your order," Kenshin nodded. "We can leave now."

"Let our guest rest, Kenshin, let him be ready by sunlight," Katsura walked away and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but Akizuki, please may I ask what it is you are to destroy."

"It only appears when crisis in the country appears. Many want it, either side will fight for it, will destroy themselves for it, Ryoma-sama knew this, gave his life to make sure it would never come," he turned to give a sad gaze at the former bodyguard. "I do not fault you for his death, Akizuki, I remember you. Kenshin and you crossed paths during that time and never once did you two speak until now."

It was different set of circumstances, though it was evident that Kenshin had no head for politics, he had no desire for it. As Akizuki rested, he lay sleeping in a room, but yet he could not sleep, he looked out. Kenshin was resting with his katana against his shoulder, for many reasons did he really have to have a guard. He sat up in bed, he rubbed his head, the memories of that night, the horrible assassination, the horrible things he could not prevent.

Here sitting in front of me is the most dangerous of killers of the Choshu, who is going to guide me out of the city, how is this good? He was dressing when he heard Kenshin's stirring outside. "Best move soon, we don't want the rest of the inn to know you're leaving," he heard Kenshin.

Upon the sunrise, Akizuki rushed out of Kyoto as fast as his feet could carry him, he did not think about the warnings Kenshin gave until he walked into Yokohama. Then he thought of him again, I wonder where you are now? Surely not fighting the same battle, I never got the chance to thank you for getting me out of Kyoto so quickly.

"Kenshin, if this is resolved, what do you hope to accomplish?" he asked him before leaving.

"I plan on doing something good, killing isn't something I want to do all my life. This one wants to bring life again to people, bring hope, and atone for what crimes I committed," Kenshin shook his head and then with a sad smile, he walked back toward the city. "Again, Akizuki, I wish you luck, may our paths never cross again during this troubling time, but cross again in peaceful times."

End


End file.
